Red Cross in New York Helping After Train Derailment

Posted May 13, 2015

American Red Cross workers in Philadelphia and New York are providing comfort and support to people after the tragic Amtrak train derailment Tuesday night.

Overnight in Philadelphia, the Red Cross opened two reception centers for passengers, friends and family to gather. A family reunification center is also scheduled to open Wednesday morning. In addition to emotional support, volunteers are providing food, comfort kits, blankets and clothing at these sites. Amtrak has set up a hotline, 800-523-9101, for anyone with questions about friends and family on the train.

In New York, workers have supported passengers as they arrive from Philadelphia with emotional support, health services, and comfort. Volunteers are also working with partners to help people get to their next destination.

The Red Cross is in close contact with emergency responders and local officials in both New York and Philadelphia. Over the days to come, we will continue to coordinate with officials to determine how we can best help people during this difficult time.

The Red Cross is also supporting the blood needs of those injured in the train derailment. As of Wednesday morning, the Red Cross supplied 130 blood products to six area hospitals. Blood supplies are currently sufficient to meet the needs of patients, however the Red Cross is standing by to provide additional blood products as supplies are needed.

This tragedy shows that emergencies can happen in any community at any time. While the Red Cross is not currently accepting donations restricted to the train derailment, we always need help to be prepared for events like this and all the humanitarian efforts we support. On average, the Red Cross helps people and communities prepare for, respond to and recover from nearly 70,000 disasters each year. Support our work at redcross.org.

Many people jumped in to provide immediate help after the derailment. Register for a Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED course at redcross.org so that you can be better prepared to help in future emergencies or download the free Red Cross First Aid App which puts free and simple lifesaving information in the hands of smart phone and tablet users.